No more than a moment after he sat up, and was about the throw himself for a wall, the door flew open, propelled by a lithe suntanned arm. Narri's arm.
"Are you OK?" She asked in a loud voice.
The stranger was in a deep sweat, and shook his head slowly up and down.
"I.. was just...confused for a second." "Can I light the lamp for you?" she asked, in softer tones.
"Yes...Please."
Narri let the door open fully, and used the light form the hall guide her to the lamp of the wall. In a moment, she had it lit, and it illuminated the small room merrily, and showed her the strangers sweat drenched face, and, she noticed quickly, his now naked leg. She stared at a it a moment , then forced her gaze else where. "Can I get you anything else? The supper crowd is breaking up down stairs, but there are still a few drinkers, whose company you can share if you wish?
"Perhaps..in a few moments. First I need to calm down, and..." He breaks off, and looks down at his brace of the floor.
Narri follows his gaze. "Is there...anything I can do to help you?" "No, nothing. No one can do anything for me." The Stranger looks depressed, then slides his leg over the edge of the bed.
"Thank you for all your concern, but I really don't think I'm worth it." The stranger, then began
the complicated maneuvers required to fit his brace into place. Narri watched it all stoically, but
with her eyes wide, having never seen its likes before.
"Thank you...for everything. I believe I will go downstairs for a few minutes anyway. Will you
help me with the steps again?"
"Certainly, I would be delighted to!" She exclaimed, perhaps a bit too quickly, but it only served to confirm what the stranger was thinking.
She was interested in him, but why? What had he done to warrant her interest? Nothing that he could think of. Perhaps it was his brace? He would have to find out later. She was very beautiful, and he would like to get to know her better, but what had one such as he to offer? He is only a bit older than her be believ ed, although he couldn't remember for sure. Perhaps, after his story, he would ask her about herself. Perhaps not. Time would tell he presumed.
The stranger rose stiffly from the bed, and accepted her arm and they left the room. The stairs
came up quickly, and they started down, at the same snails pace with which they had climbed
them the night before.
Oh course I could climb these stairs myself. I would be slow, but I could do it. But she s seems to want to help me. Devotion to a worthless cause? Why? She doesn't know me. If she did she probably wouldn't like me. She'll find out so on enough I fear, then turn tail, and run. Why do I bother?
The stairs ended on the first floor, and she led him to a table, content to keep in contact with his
arm. He sat as gently as he could in the low chair, but it was close to a fall. He flipped the latch at
his knee, and let his leg bend, to fit under the table.
"Ale if you would Girl. And perhaps a plate of something to eat." "Not that Stew of his though." He quickly added, visions of it appearing in his head.
She left him to his thoughts, and hurried to catch up on her chores. She had spent too much of her
time upstairs waiting for him to awaken, now she was behind.
Jarill will be angry, she thought. But I don't care. I want to know about the stranger. What's his name? Where is he from? What wrong with his leg? Is he in love with someone?
All of these thoughts flew through her head as she fixed a plate of bread, and cheese, and some of that meat and tomato sauce that Cook liked so much. She took the plate, and a full tankard of ale to him at his table, and promised to return as soon as she got the chance. She flew like a dervish through the room, rag flying from table to table cleaning spills, and filling empty tankards and glasses when called. In a few minutes she was caught up in the common room, but there were still the supper dishes to do!
She resigned herself to her fate, and after looking wistfully at the stranger, she headed to the kitchen, and prepared herself for the scalding her always got when washing dishes.
The dishes took forever it seemed, then there were still the pots to scrub. Surly he would have
gotten bored and left by the time she finished. She took several quick peeks between pots to
check, but no, he was still there, sipping his ale.
What nasty stuff, how can he enjoy it? Would he like me better if I drank some with him?. The pots finally done, she filled another tankard for him, then, after a moment of courage, one for herself, and went to join him.
She sat the tankard for him down in front of him, and bravely took a swallow of her own. Her face screwed up in to a scowl before she could stop it, but he wasn't looking, so didn't notice praise be to whichever Gods are watching!
"Can I get you anything else, Sir?" she asked.
"Huh" "oh, no thanks, I'm fine." he answered. "Would you like to take a seat and rest for a moment, you've been running for the last hour I know."
Has it only been an hour? It seems likes five times that. She thought
"Yes, that would be nice, thank you" She answered in turn.
"And don't call me sir, we're close in age I think." He said.
"What should I call you then?"
"I don't know, I don't remember my name, as I said. What would you like to call me?"
Mine! She thought,
"I don't know, what would you like to be called?"
"Anything will do I suppose. I just have to know that its me that you're talking to."
"Well, I've always like the name Sebastian, would that do?"
"Sebastian, Sebastian, yes, that'll do. Nicely. Sebastian it is then."
"Good. Well Sebastian, let me properly introduce myself now. I am Narricisally Alexandra, but I go by just Narri."
"Pleased to meet you Narri Alexandra, I am Sebastian. Just Sebastian for now, but some day I'll have a last name too."
"About that?" she asked quietly "Would you like to tell me some of your tale? I would like to
hear it if you would?"
"My tale. It is a strange one, what I can remember of it in any account. I will begin it now, if you
wish, but be forewarned, it is not complete, nor is it even believable. Some I don't like to believe
myself."
"I am, or was before this (he knocked his knuckles against his brace) a warrior. A good one I
believe, although now all I remember of it are shadows in the darkness.
It began during the war. I know that, but exactly when I don't recall. Its not important anyway,
not really. Anyway, I was in, or was leading a squad of good men. We met the Live army,
thankfully, but we weren't quite holding our own. I ordered a fall back, it seems, and we were
heading for a ridge a quarter mile off to make another stand. Then Jori was cut down. Poor lad,
he was about 15, I'm not sure exactly. Anyway, they had a marksman, with a damned powerful
crossbow. The bolt hit Jori square between the shoulder blades as he was talking to me. I saw it..
A rose blossoming from his heart. His blood splattered me, and the look on his face. It was of
shock, and of surprise, then of pain. He mouthed "help me" softly, then died. It was too much for
me. I canceled the retreat, and ordered a charge. There were only about 12 of us left. I didn't
care. I led the charge, but the enemy was over 200 yards away. We ran toward them, a whooping
and a hollering, but that damned crossbowman picked us off one by one as we ran. I don't know
how he reloaded so fast, magic maybe. Doesn't matter really.
I saw them all go down. Telly, Hasden, Trent, Scarvelli. All were my friends. I started cursing, first the enemy, then myself, then the gods. I used to know all their names you know, even what different races called them. It was just something I liked to do when I met someone, I'd ask them their name for the gods.
Anyway, I started at one end of the list, and was working my way down it. Now's when things started to get bad. I don't remember what God I was cursing at the time, but I got hit, right here.
(Sebastian paused, to jab his finger into his leg at a point about midthigh)
I don't know why the crossbowman didn't hit to kill me, I wish he had. But anyway, I got hit, and the name of the God I was cursing fell from my lips. My heart stopped. I felt a numbing sensation flow through my body, starting with my leg. I must have passed out."
Sebastian stopped there. He raised his tankard, and found it dry. He tipped it to show to Narri
that it was empty, but it took a few moments for her to understand what he wished, her thoughts
being on the battlefield with him.
She came to with a start, and smiled bashfully as she took his tankard and ran for the tap behind the bar. She returned quickly, and replaced it in his hand.
"Yes, yes, go on, please." She begged.
"No. Thats enough for now." he said, before drinking deeply of his ale. "I will continue later. First I have to check on Bo. He gets edgy if I don't come see him regularly. He's the most amazing animal. I don't know what I would do without him."
Narri looked crestfallen, but said ok, that she had work to do anyway, and rose slowly, hoping he
would continue the story anyway. But he didn't, and she began making rounds, checking on her
other, nearly forgotten customers, some of whom had been trying to get her attention for several
minutes.
Sebastian drained the last of his ale, and relocked his knee hinge before riseing. He walked out the door slowly, and turned left.
The stable, was preditably enough, behind the tavern, and a crude boardwalk led the way. Sebastian made his way there, and entered the large doors. Bo wasn't the only animal in there, but he was the only horse. He had a stall by his self, but shared the barn with two mules, a worn out milk cow, and what looked like two oxen.
"How ya doing Bo old boy? They treating ya all right?" He asked.
Bo shook his head up and down in response, and whinnyed softly.
Sebastian walked to him, and scratched him under the chin like he liked.
"Its nice to be under a roof again, ain't it old boy?"
Bo just held his head out for continued scratching.
"There's a girl inside the tavern, did she come see ya?"
Bo shook his head again.
"I told her where ta scratch ya. She nice ain't she? I think so."
Bo shook his head again. Then pulled it back inside the stall to nibble at some oats.
"She slipped ya an extra ration did she? I'll have ta thank her for that."
"I'm gonna tell her."
Bo raised his head, and stared at Sebastian.
"I don't know why. I know what always happens when I do. But she's so nice, and she asked me to tell her my story. Maybe she'll be diffrent than the rest."
Bo leaned out, and propped his head on Sebastian's shoulder.
"Thanks boy. I do appreciate ya. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't found me."
"I'm gonna have ta go now though."
"She's inside. Narri Alexandra her name is. Pretty ain't it? She even gave me one. Sebastian."
"Anyway, she wants me to finish my story. I have a feeling she'll pester me if I don't go ahead and finish it. Probably for the best though. If she didn't push me, I probably wouldn't tell it. But sooner or later she would find out about me. Then it would be over. Maybe if I tell her everything, she'll stick around. I gotta try. How long's it been now boy, two, going on three years? I'm lonely."
Sebastian gave Bo a friendly slap on the neck, and backed away.
"I'll come out later, or in the morning."
"I'll get her to come see you again too. Be nice to her, she might be the one."
Sebastian closed the stable doors behind him, and walked to a nearby shade tree, and sat to enjoy
the growing darkness in solitude.
The stars were soon out in full force, and as there was no moon, there were more visable than anyone could hope to ever count. It was a peaceful scene, but one that Sebastian couln't enjoy. It brought back too many memories, memories already stirred up by Narri, and her probeing.
Richie Adams is currently, (for for the forseeable future) attending Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville Georgia, where he is striveing to achieve a BA in English and a minor in history. He is a self declaired underachiever (some say just plain lazy) with a passion for the printed word. This is his first "published" work. --
You can E-Mail Richie by clicking here.
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